External fixation, as an alternative to internal fixation, is a surgical approach to stabilize bone and soft tissues at a distance from the injury that uses fixation constructs known as external fixators. External fixation may be done for various bones and/or areas of the body such as, but not limited to, the arm, spine, leg, ankle, and foot. It provides unobstructed access to the relevant skeletal and soft tissue structures for their assessment and intervention(s) needed to restore bony continuity and a functional soft tissue cover.
In this kind of surgical approach, holes are drilled into uninjured areas of bones around the desired orthopedic problem/area and special bolts or wires are screwed into the holes. Outside the body, one or more rings surround the desired orthopedic area, the rings connected to one another by one or more struts having universal joints (e.g. a ball-and-socket joint) to make a rigid support. The orthopedic problem/area can be set in the proper anatomical configuration by adjusting the struts/universal (ball-and-socket) joints. A person skilled in the art will recognize that struts which provide the greatest amount of adjustability provide for a better external fixator. A better external fixator provides for better healing. It is thus important that the struts provide the greatest amount of adjustment in all planes, direction, and/or degrees.
Without being limiting, it is thus an object of the present invention to provide a dynamic strut for external fixator constructs that provides adjustment in all planes, directions, and/or degrees. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a strut for external fixators that allows for universal movement in all planes, directions, and/or degrees. These and other non-limiting objects are satisfied by the present invention.